Russia is holding combat readiness exercises involving 8,500 troops, with dozens of ships and aircraft, in a southern region near areas of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian rebels. The snap drill in the Rostov region was ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
The southern military district includes Crimea - the peninsula annexed by Russian forces in 2014 - and areas on the border with eastern Ukraine, BBC reported.
Pro-Russian rebels also held military drills in eastern Ukraine last week. The self-styled “Donetsk People’s Republic” tested heavy artillery and rocket systems in the Torez area, near the rebel-held city of Donetsk.
Nato, Western leaders and the Ukrainian government accuse Russia of sending heavy armor and regular troops to the rebels. Moscow denies that, but admits that Russian “volunteers” are helping the rebels.
